GAZETTE & HERALD: Wiltshire's heritage services will be brought under one roof at the new Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office in Chippenham, the county council has agreed.

Last week the cabinet agreed a new, state of the art building for the county's records and the five other key heritage services.

These are the local studies library, the archaeology service, Wiltshire buildings record, museum service and conservation.

The centre will offer a better service for the public, schools, colleges, and people researching their family history by giving them access to the full range of heritage services on a single site.

Leader of the county council, Coun Jane Scott, said: "Our intention has

always been to build a state of the art heritage centre to house and protect our unique records and to

provide the very best

facilities to allow local

people and visitors alike to study and to carry out

research.

"This is by far the best option open to the county council. We can now get on with the job of actually building it."

But the plans have been slammed by the Liberal Democrat opposition at County Hall as a waste of money.

They described a decision as a "reckless dash" and highlighted problems of access on the cattle market site.

"The Heritage Lottery Fund refused money for the site in Chippenham because it was in the wrong place, yet the County Council persists in spending £11.6m of taxpayers' money to put it in the same wrong place," said Lib Dem leader Coun Trevor Carbin.

"Wiltshire's contribution to the scheme is £8.85m and Swindon's £2.75m. The original office was put where it was as a compromise between the interests of Swindon and Salisbury.

"Now Salisbury and the south of the county are being sold out to appease Swindon."

Campaigners for a Trowbridge Record Office have also criticised the plans.

David Colcomb said: "The North Wiltshire cabal are still locked into their mission to bring the record office to Chippenham at all costs.

"They are still set on making all of Wiltshire pay through the nose for a project that can only benefit their own electorate, and that of their close neighbours, Swindon."

The cost of the new facility will be £11.6 million, £800,000 less than earlier plans submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Now that lottery fund approval is not required, a quicker timetable is feasible because less inflation will be incurred.

In addition, design changes have also been made to use more cost efficient materials.

The costs compare well with other similar schemes.

The county council had already allocated over £6.7m towards the costs.

A further £2.1m will be reinvested in the Chippenham site following the sale of the Allington school site in the town.

The heritage centre will be built on the old cattle market site in Chippenham near the railway station and Chippenham College.

The county council will acquire the land under a 125-year lease from North Wiltshire District Council at a cost of £444,000.

The future use of the current record site has yet to be finalised but the county council is committed to working towards the Vision for Trowbridge of which developing the current site is a critical part.

The county council will now seek formal planning permission for the new building with a view to starting work in 2005 and opening in the financial year 2007/08.